14 FRINGILLHLE. 



as dark, or even darker, than their early plumage. This 

 might be the effect of particular food, which is known to 

 exercise such an influence on other birds ; but whether 

 having once assumed bright tints, they ever, in a wild and 

 healthy state, go back to olive brown, or more dull colours, 

 has not, I believe, been ascertained. 



Young females, from the striated appearance of their 

 first autumn dress acquire a greenish yellow tint on the 

 top of the head, and on the whole of the under surface of 

 the body, mixed with greyish brown ; the rump and upper 

 tail-coverts of primrose-yellow, tinged with green ; wings, 

 tail, and legs, coloured as in the male ; but, as far as I 

 am aware, no females have been found bearing the red- 

 coloured plumage. The lower figure in our group is from 

 a female. 



The Common Crossbill varies a little in size, depending 

 on sex and age. Young males are the smallest, and seldom 

 measure more than six inches and a quarter in length ; 

 old females are the largest, and frequently measure seven 

 inches in length ; the wings rather long and pointed, in- 

 dicating considerable powers of flight ; the average extent 

 from tip to tip, about eleven inches ; from the carpal joint 

 to the end of the first quill-feather, which is the longest, 

 three inches and three-quarters; the second quill-feather 

 a very little shorter than the first ; the third a little shorter 

 than the second, and the fourth feather one quarter of an 

 inch shorter than the third. 



Besides several skins in my own collection of birds, killed 

 in July, September, November, and January ; some skins 

 selected with reference to particular states of plumage, and 

 opportunities of examining from time to time various spe- 

 cimens kept in confinement for observation, I have been 

 favoured with many others. W. Wells, Esq., of Redleaf, 

 very kindly sent me some in different states of plumage 



